.png)
3 hours ago
3
Anthony Joshua is to face Tyson Furythis year after the promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed a deal to stage the biggest fight in British boxing history has been signed. Joshua will face the Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on 25 July as a warm-up for his long-awaited showdown with Fury, which is expected to take place in November and be shown on Netflix.
“Signed, sealed, delivered! AJ v Fury is on!” Hearn said on Instagram. “The biggest piece of business we’ve ever done but more importantly the one we’ve always wanted. Biggest year of AJ’s career coming up, the comeback is on.”
It will be Joshua’s first bout since he was involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December that killed two close friends and his first appearance since knocking out the YouTube star Jake Paul the same month. All 20 of Prenga’s wins have come by knockout, but he has yet to face an opponent in Joshua’s class.
“It’s no secret I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring and this is the next step on that journey,” Joshua said.
Before Hearn’s post, Saudi Arabia’s boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh had suggested on social media that Joshua’s fight with Fury had been agreed. “To my friends in Great Britain – it’s happening. It’s signed,” he said.
Joshua’s last meaningful fight was against Daniel Dubois in 2024, when he was counted out in the fifth round. The 36-year-old underwent elbow surgery and also had a shoulder injury, preventing him from returning to the ring until his comeback meeting with Paul in Miami.
“I’m delighted to have agreed a multi-fight deal starting with July 25 in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Joshua said. “I’m looking forward to competing and picking up where I left off. As I said. The landlord will collect his rent. That is certain.”
